Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-03

il all in as gospel truth, aud sat with his
eyes dilated, fixed upon the Profess
sof, bis mouth wide open, and Curl
GUS expression on his face Of supreme
bliss and edifcation whenever the
speaker got off particularly long and
extra-scientific term, although, poor
fellow, we all knew that he couldn't
understand o word Of it,
"But how can you call il river?"
said Harry. 1T is nothing but
mountain. There is not even sign OF
a wash about it. 1t is all covered with
great rough stones which look as though
they had been thrown out OF some vol
cano or dropped there from Heaven,
and never been disturbed"
Exactly said the Professor.
"They were thrown out OF volcano,
but as molten lava, which upon cooling
assumed the very form you describe.
There is plenty Of wash inside, as you
will see when l have pierced the rim "
"But how could river run upon the
top of mountain ?" asked another,
contemptuously-o who had just ar
rived and had not heard all OF the Pro-
fessor's address.
The Professor answered with some
impatience 4: Examine ever 80 super
ficially the summit of The table-land
and then the character of the surround
ing country, and you can answer your
own question. The surface of the lava
flow is hard aud comparatively inde.
structible. There is scarcely trace of
erosion throughout its entire extent.
Nature, when she filled the channel,
sealed it. and ordained the changes
which you now behold. Look at the
states that surround us" and here the
Professor picked handful of decom-
posed talcose and crumbled it between
his hands. ''As crush this, Nature
by her countless forces-forces which
never cease their labor night or
day, winter or summer-Nature, l
say, has disintegrated these fra
bic surroundings until they have
been eroded to the depth of
thousands of feet, leaving yonder mag
nificent erosion O monument OF her
work barren to all appearance, but in
reality covered with inscriptions, not
engraven in any modern tongue, it is
true, but nevertheless leaf of 'The
Great Stone Book inscribed in the
handwriting of the Creator Himself
q writing which they who approach
Him with reverence and patient study
and the worship of truth and prayer
may sometimes be permitted to inter
pref" .,
But what makes you choose that
place ?" said practical Captain Paine,
who had now joined us, listening in
tently, but who continued to stand, for
he was never seen to sit or lie down ex
cept at meals and when he turned in for
the night
because that indentation which you
see" pointing to the green spot, sis
Just so much off the rinse much less
tunnelliDg to do. The rim rock is low
and thin there, l am sure-low, because
/ have traced a drift from the inner
channel over the top Of it, and thin, be-
cause have taken all the bearings and
know that it cannot be very far through
to the channel at that point.
You have been here before, then
Professor ?" said the Captain.
ooh, yes. / spent SIX months ex-
amining the table-land, and l was a
month camped on that spot. When l
had resolved that was the place
where / could attack it to the best adj
vantage / returned to the bay for my
traps, and here 1 am with them-or a
portion of them, at least-for the bulk
are coming by the main road"
At 3 O'Clock, there being plenty OF
willing hands, We made short work
with the old gentleman's pack. Upon
leaving he lifted his hat in stately
way, which all present returned with O
will, wishing him good luck, but pity
ing him from the very bottom of ouI
souls. At supper-time the whole camp
was talking about him, some of them
mimickinq the caro with which he pro
nounced his name-Doctor Cresc-i-e,
Doctor Cr-r-res-cie, and so on-which
was soon corrupted, of course, into
Doctor Crazy and Doctor Crazy, the
Crazy Doctor, or the Crazy Pro-
fessor, it was from that time forward,
not only on the bar, but up and down
the river and far and wide, as the story
got out. -,
THAT old gent un POGO loco, said
one of the Italians, grinning to Harry
and me as he passed. Portugee Jake
took it up, and l thought at one time
that there would be a fight over it
but Portuguese and Italians make g
great deal of noise and great many
alarming gestures which don't meal
fight always. Notwithstanding Jake''
championship, however, it soon be
came understood in the camp and OF
the river that the Professor was LITTLE
fighty.
"He's as crazy as a loon," said Har
Nv to me, talking the matter over, a
We often did, between us.
EYES," / replied; "there can be NJ
doubt of it; but it must he mono
mania, think. He appears to be per
fectly reasonable on all other sub
jects."
However, we heard nothing more o
the Professor for long time, and haC
almost forgotten him, whenan acciden
occurred which brought him to on
recollection and renewed the acquaint
ance. We had in our company
Swede named John Spencer, tall
powerful fellow, and one of the great
est workers in the camp. He was
sailor, and had been second mate,
think, of full-rigged ship. He wa
very high-tempered, or perhaps IshoulC
say choloric; Tor he was not at allquar
relsome, but when he got angry use'
TO show it in very funny fashion-b.
working like q perfect fury. In on
of these tantrums he would slasl
around with pick or bar or sledge
whatever he might be working with
as though possessed bya devil. Thes
fits would rarely last more than q quar-
ter of an hour or so-no doubt the tire
mendous muscular exertion worke,
them OFF. They were succeeded by
sulk, which, il nc one interfered, wa
also of short duration. The boys use
TO laugh among themselves at Spen
GERS fits, but nobody cared to eros
him IL these moods, partly because
would have been very dangerous, bu
still more because he was such goo
fellow and such lion at his worh
One day John was at his wor
in the race beneath some yer
heavy rocks, when he became pei
sessed by one of these furies an
started in 10 clearing things" II
slashed around like perfect lunati,
and. / think, must have been neirl